Culinary accessory



Feb. 5; 1952 2,584,295

D. SANZENBACHER CULINARY ACCESSORY Filed Sept. 17, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

Q95 IG.5

Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CULINARY ACCESSORY Donald L. Sanzenliacher, Toledo, Ohio Application September 17, 1949, Serial No. 116,297

This invention relates to a culinary accessory particularly adapted to mount a food item such'.' as a cut of meat, a fish, or a fowl, during. the cooking process and thereafter while the food is sub-divided.

An object of this invention is to provide a rack-like support upon which a food item may be neuvering of the supported food item, yet auto,-

matically gripping its supporting surface when pressure is applied to the food as in a cutting operation.

Other objects and advantages of this inven; tion relating to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction, to combinations of parts and to economies of manufacture, will be apparent to those skilled'in the art upon consideration of the following description f -and appended claims, reference being had to the ac companying drawings forming a part of f'this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. r

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferredzform of the device in position to support a fooditeni for cooking or preparation for the table (airepf;

resentative food item, such as a fowl, being in dicated by dotted lines); I

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device of Fig. l in partially closed or folded positionj' I Fig. 4 is a view on the line IV-IV, Fig. 2;;and

Fig. 5 is a side view of a modified form of p the device.

The device comprises a pair of like majorparts formed from lengths of strip materials such as wire, rods, tape-shaped stock or the like and for purposes of illustration, a preferred form is herein shown as constructed from ribbons of stainless steel.

Each major part comprises a central extent connecting a pair of spaced reverse bends 22 havarack-like support which may have a plurality- 4 01mins. (o1. 99-419) ing bow portions and terminal tines 26. The two parts are intermediately connected by arivetlike element 28 centrally of their lengths. This element 28 provides a pivot connection about which the strips may be laterally swung to thereby relatively adjust the tines 26. This adjustment permits the device to be opened or unfolded to distribute the tines according to the shape of the food item 30 to be impaled thereon for the most efficient support of the item and also permits folding of the device to provide a compact unit for storage when not in use and for packing for sales purposes.

The outermost extent of the bow portions 24 are in a common plane providing feet or supports for the rack-like device. The connected central portions of the-majorparts define a platform area -with the tines 26 extending sufiiciently therebeyond from the plane of support, to pro-.

vide effective impalement of the food.

The material from which the two major parts are fabricated should preferably have an inher-- ent flexibility which will impart a substantial give or spring to the device, at least in the bow regions. This allows a spread between the points of support whenever pressure is applied to the impaled food, as during a cutting action thereon, such as trimming, carving or slicing. This spreading tends to cause the device to more firmly grip its supporting surface'3 2 and thereby reduce any tendency to skid or slide.

Means may be incorporated to further reduce any tendency to skid. The rivet-like element28 may be provided with a depending spike or tine 34 which terminates just short of the plane of support 32, when the device is standing alone. When pressure is applied to the item 30, this tine will engage the supporting surface and if such be a cutting-board or the like, will effectively bite thereinto for a positive anchoring of the device. Wherein the support to receive the carrier is likely to be a vitreous surface, such as chinaware, a, compressible and flexible sheath 36 may be placed about the member 34, extending slightly therebeyond to serve as an anti-skid device.

If desired, a fifth tine 38 may be added to the element 28 to extend upwardly therefrom for cooperation with the other four impaling tines 26.

All the parts with the exception of the removable piece 34 can be of stainless steel, so the rack can receive the food prior to cooking and carry the same through the cooking operation as well as the serving thereof. Even the part 34 can be of such suitable material, as certain synbetter handled by this form of the carrier.

By use of this device, circulationof "the cooking mediums about the food item'is increased and handling of the food is simplified as well a the ultimate serving.

It is to be understood that the above detailed description of the present invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to thoseskilled in the art, but that the'invention is not tobe construed as limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the inve'ntion ispapable of being practiced and carried out in various Wayswithout departing from the spirit of the'inventi'on. The language tion in' opposite directions and'provi'ded with support-farmingbent' portions terminating in tines, said intermediate connection comprising a mpmvmmg-a" pivotal jointiwith a spike extension" therefrom toward the bows formed by said bent portions but tierminatin'g short of the plane passingth'rough 'the'outerrnost extent of said bows, -an'd a 'fi'ekible tubular sheath for'said spike having a portion' th ere of extending beyond the spiketo provide afree extension for engaging the surface supp'ortirig said 'a'ccesory as "an anti-skid device for the accessory. v

2; In a culinary article of the class described,

said' article' consisting of 'a paper ribbon-like spring elements centrally pivoted together to" form an adjustable cross-shaped device having four arms outjwardly ekt'ending in'diverse direc tions fro'm' the pivot connection in a substantially common-plane and thence through reverse bend- 4 portions to terminate in tines with the reverse bends on one side of said plane and the terminal points of said tines on the opposite side of said plane.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 wherein said tines taper outwardly from their terminal points through said plane to the reverse bend portions.

4. In an article of manufacture, a roast rack consisting of two: ribbon-like spring metal elements centrally apertured, a rivet-likeelement extending through said apertures to pivotally connect said elements together so that each of said-elements provide a pair of arms extending in opposite directions from said pivotal connec tion thereby to provide four arms in substantially the same plane forming a platform about the connecting element, said arms each having a reverse'bend from their platform forming portions, said reverse bends terminating in tines upwardly extending-from saidplatform, said reverse bends being on-one side of the plane-ofthe platform and said. tines extending beyond the opposite side of said plane and tapered from theirterminal points outwardly toward the-"reverse bends fora distance at least to the plane of "the platform.

DONALD L."SANZENBACI-I-ER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are'ofrecordinth file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA I'E NTS- Number Name Date" 363,519 Houston May 24, 1887 436,654 Frederick ept'; 16,1890 526,135 Stone Sept-.18, 1894 566,479 Sellman Ai1g1i2i5, 1896- 691333 Williamson Jan. 28', 1902 894,511 Linderma-n July 2811908 925,443 Amberg June 22,1909

1,599,321 Devlin 'Sept. 7,"1926 1,969,601 Foch 'Augflj 1934 2,183,938 Lewis Dec. 19, 1939 2,467,611 Cook Apr. 19, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 'Number Country Date 18,494 Great BIlt3,in" Oct; 3; 1893 270,118 Great Britain May'5,'1927 Great Britain Nov; 1611933 

